Cross-Reference to Related Application
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application serial number 09/477,843,
filed January 5, 2000, TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTING A SMALL FORM FACTOR INK-JET CARTRIDGE
FOR USE IN A CARRIAGE SIZED FOR A LARGE FORM FACTOR CARTRIDGE, by Ram Santhanam, and
also of application serial number 09/477,645, filed January 5, 2000, A VENT FOR AN
INK-JET PRINT CARTRIDGE, by Ram Santhanam, the entire contents of which are incorporated
herein by this reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to ink-jet printing, and more particularly to filling techniques
for ink-jet pens and to case structures for such pens.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Ink-jet printers are in widespread use today for printing functions in personal computers,
graphics plotters, facsimile machines and other applications. Such printers typically
include replaceable or semipermanent print cartridges which hold a supply of ink and
carry the ink-jet printhead. The cartridge typically is secured into a printer carriage
which supports one or a plurality of cartridges above the print medium, and traverses
the medium in a direction transverse to the direction of medium travel through the
printer. Electrical connections are made to the printhead by flexible wiring circuits
attached to the outside of the cartridge. The carriage receptacle has a corresponding
electrical circuit with exposed contact pads which contact cartridge interconnect
pads when the cartridge is mounted in the carriage. Each printhead includes a number
of tiny nozzles defined in a substrate and nozzle plate structure which are selectively
fired by electrical signals applied to the interconnect pads to eject droplets of
ink in a controlled fashion onto the print medium. The cartridge may be connectable
to auxiliary supplies of ink for replenishing the internal supply held in the cartridge.
[0004] In order to achieve accurate printing quality, each removable cartridge includes
datum surfaces which engage against corresponding carriage surfaces to precisely locate
the cartridge when inserted into the carriage. In this manner, when a cartridge ink
supply is exhausted, the cartridge may be replaced with a fresh cartridge, and the
printhead of the new cartridge will be precisely located relative to the carriage.
The printer carriage receptacle and the cartridge are therefore designed together,
so that the cartridge fits accurately within the carriage receptacle, the respective
circuit pads and datum surfaces match up, and the cartridge can be removed and replaced
with a fresh cartridge as needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an ink filling kit is described for
dispensing ink into an inkjet cartridge having a printhead nozzle array in fluid communication
with at least one internal ink reservoir. The kit includes an ink supply including
at least one ink chamber for holding a fill supply of liquid ink, and at least one
protruding needle in communication with the at least one ink chamber. The kit can
include a vacuum system for applying a vacuum to the nozzle array of the printhead
nozzle array during the fill procedure to draw air through the nozzle array. A fixture
system can also be provided to hold the inkjet cartridge in position during a fill
procedure.
[0006] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a method is described for filling
an inkjet cartridge having a printhead nozzle array in fluid communication with at
least one internal ink reservoir. The method includes:
providing an ink supply including at least one ink chamber for holding a fill supply
of liquid ink, and at least one protruding needle in communication with the at least
one ink chamber;
holding the inkjet cartridge in a fixtured position during a fill procedure relative
to the ink supply, wherein the at least one protruding needle extends into the at
least one internal ink reservoir of the cartridge;
dispensing ink from the ink supply through the at least one needle into the at least
one ink reservoir; and
applying a vacuum to the nozzle array of the printhead nozzle array during the fill
procedure to draw air through the nozzle array.
[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an inkjet cartridge usable with
the fill kit includes a cartridge housing having an open region, a printhead mounted
on the housing, at least one internal ink reservoir defined within the housing in
fluid communication with the printhead, and a foam structure disposed within the at
least one internal ink reservoir. A two part lid structure is provided for covering
the open region of the housing, the lid structure including a lid portion for permanent
attachment to the housing, and a cover portion having a closed position for covering
at least one fill port in the lid structure, the cover portion movable to allow access
to the at least one fill port.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0008] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more
apparent from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment thereof,
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a small form factor inkjet cartridge with which the
subject invention can be employed.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cartridge of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a simplified side view illustrating the latching of the cartridge of FIG.
1 in a carriage receptacle.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 mounted in a carriage receptacle.
FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary components of a refill kit useful
in a technique for refilling an inkjet cartridge in accordance with an aspect of the
invention. FIG. 5B is a schematic illustration of the cartridge with elements of the
refill kit during a refill procedure.
FIG. 6 is a bottom isometric view of a one-piece lid structure.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the lid structure of FIG. 6 with a template in place to identify
locations of fill ports.
FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a two-part lid structure in accordance
with an aspect of the invention.
FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the lid structure of FIG. 8, showing the cover in an
open position to expose the fill ports formed in the lid.
FIG. 10 shows an alternate arrangement of the two-part lid structure, which allows
the cover to be lifted up and detached from the lid for refill.
FIG. 11 is an isometric view illustrating a further alternative embodiment of the
two-part lid structure, wherein the cover is attached to the lid structure with a
hinge on the back of the lid structure.
FIG. 12 is an isometric view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the hinged
two-part lid structure, wherein the hinge is located along a longitudinal edge of
the cover.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] One aspect of this invention is a refill technique for a low profile inkjet print
cartridge. One exemplary low profile cartridge is described in the above-referenced
application, although other cartridges can alternatively be employed in practicing
the invention. The following description of the exemplary cartridge is generally taken
from the above reference application.
[0010] A small form factor inkjet cartridge 20 is shown in FIGS. 1-4, and is characterized
by a relatively small height dimension H1, in this exemplary embodiment on the order
of 45 mm. This is compared to a typical height dimension of 72 mm for the HP 51629A
(black ink), 51629G (black ink), 51649A (tri-color) and 51649G (tri-color) cartridges
marketed by Hewlett-Packard Company. The width dimension W1 and depth dimension D1
are the same as for these already marketed cartridges; typical values for W1 and D1
are 30.9 mm and 48.3 mm, respectively. The small form factor cartridge 20 has utility
for a variety of applications, including by way of example low profile printing devices
and entertainment center printers.
[0011] The cartridge 20 includes a cartridge housing 22, typically fabricated of a plastic
material, to which a top end cap or lid 24 is attached, e.g. by adhesive or ultrasonic
bonding techniques. A bottom end cap or nose piece 26 is attached to the lower end
of the housing, and supports a printhead 28 (FIG. 2). The housing 22 has formed therein
at least one ink reservoir chamber, filled with a foam material in this example, for
holding a supply of ink to supply the printhead during printing operations for delivering
ink droplets onto a print medium during printing operations. The ink compartments
in this exemplary embodiment receive foam structures (not shown in FIG. 1) which hold
the ink in open foam cells, and create slight negative pressure through capillary
action, as is well known in the art. The ink reservoir includes an ink outlet port
in fluid communication with each chamber.
[0012] The printhead is fabricated in this exemplary embodiment as part of a TAB flexible
circuit attached to the housing, and the bottom end cap, and includes a plurality
of ink ejection orifices generally indicated as 28A (FIG. 2) communicating with the
supply of ink in the reservoir through a reservoir outlet port. The TAB circuit further
includes a cartridge set of electrical contact pads, which are interconnected through
the TAB circuit to corresponding nozzle firing resistors of the thermal inkjet printhead.
When the cartridge is mounted in a carriage receptacle, the cartridge set of contacts
is brought into contact with a corresponding set of carriage contacts, for supplying
drive signals to the printhead. Other types of cartridge reservoirs, printheads, and
circuits can alternatively be employed without departing from the invention.
[0013] The top cap or lid 24 of the cartridge body has formed as an integral part thereof
a boss or beveled latch feature 24A, and a keying feature 24B. The latch feature 24A
is adapted to provide a latching surface against which a carriage latch member engages
as the cartridge is inserted into a carriage receptacle adapted to receive the cartridge.
This is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein a cantilevered latch spring 104 is shown in
a latched position relative to the cartridge body. The keying feature 24B is adapted
to match with corresponding receptacle keying features, when the cartridge is mounted
in the carriage receptacle.
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates the cartridge 20 mounted in a carriage 100, and particularly in
a carriage receptacle 102 which is dimensioned particularly to receive the cartridge
20. The cartridge and the receptacle are particularly adapted for use as a front loading
system, wherein the cartridge is inserted in a sideways-facing receptacle opening
or guide chute. The guide chute can be formed as an injection molded part, with short
sidewall structures on the bottom and left and right sides of the chute. A carriage
latch feature 104 and a receptacle keying feature 106 are formed at the top side of
the receptacle chute. Thus, the guide chute is formed on three sides by short walls
which extend only along a short portion of the cartridge body. To load the cartridge
20 into the receptacle carriage receptacle, the bottom of the cartridge is first inserted
into the guide chute at an angle, and then the back of the cartridge is pushed back
to engage the latch spring over the latch feature of the cartridge.
[0015] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a refill kit 150 is described which
provides an apparatus to fill or refill a multi-compartment inkjet cartridge such
as the cartridge 20. In one exemplary embodiment, the main components of the refill
system 150 are a refill station including a fixture 190, an ink supply 160 which includes
fill needles, a capping system 180 to provide a seal around the cartridge nozzle arrays
to evacuate air and prime the cartridge when it is refilled, a vacuum source 192 to
connect to the capping system, and the tool(s) 194, 196 to make the necessary refill
ports in the top lid of the cartridge, for the cartridge type employing a non-removable
lid. As will be described more fully below, an alternate embodiment employs a removable
lid or cover on the cartridge to expose the fill ports.
[0016] FIG. 5B illustrates a technique using a refill ink container 160 comprising the refill
kit. The refill container 160 in this embodiment includes an integrated housing structure,
wherein the exterior walls and interior walls 160A, 160B define a plurality of ink
chambers 162, 164, 166.
[0017] The housing 160 has a bottom surface 168, which includes keying features which mate
with the features 24B formed on the top lid 24 of the cartridge 20, and a recess to
clear the push feature 24F formed on the top lid. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG.
5B, the bottom surface 168 has formed therein keying feature 170 at the bottom of
the first chamber 162, to ensure that the correct refill kit is used with the particular
cartridge 20. The bottom surface 168 further has formed therein the recess 172 at
the bottom of the third chamber 166 to clear the push feature 24F protruding from
the surface of the lid.
[0018] In this exemplary embodiment, the chambers 162, 164, 166 are sized to provide equal
volumes for holding liquid ink to refill the corresponding ink chambers 40, 42, 44
of the inkjet cartridge 20, regardless of the volume taken up for the key feature
172 and the recess feature 172.
[0019] A plurality of hollow fill needles protrude downwardly from the bottom surface 168
of the ink container 160. The fill needles are each in fluid communication with a
corresponding ink chamber of the container 160. The needles are designed to penetrate
the foam within the chambers 40, 42, 44 of the cartridge 20 to a predetermined depth
to ensure good ink fill.
[0020] It will be appreciated that some cartridges will have a single chamber, e.g. a black
ink cartridge. In this case, the refill container 160 corresponding to this cartridge
can be constructed as well with a single large chamber, preferably with three fill
needles, although the number of needles can be varied according to the requirements
of a particular application. Alternatively, a three chamber refill supply as shown
in FIG. 5B can be employed, with all three chambers holding the same type and color
of ink, so that a single large compartment in the cartridge 20 is refilled by ink
from a plurality of chambers in the refill supply.
[0021] In this exemplary embodiment, the refill station includes a housing or fixture 190
to fixture the pen, and an apparatus including capping system 180 and vacuum source
192 to apply vacuum to the nozzle plate. The fixture 190 can be a stand-alone fixture,
which can include bracketry to hold the ink container 160 and the cartridge 20 during
the refill procedure. In an alternate embodiment, the capping station in the printer
is adapted to serve as the refill station. This is generally shown in FIG. 5B. In
this case, an "Out of Ink (OOI)" message generated by the printer controller can be
used to trigger the start of the refill cycle, either automatically or to prompt the
user to refill the cartridge. The OOI message along with the correct carriage position
can be stored in the printer registers and transferred to the refill station, which
may be part of the printer or a separate unit. In another embodiment, the fixture
or filling station can be built into the printer housing structure, similar to the
humidor/garage supplied with single pen printers, e.g. the Hewlett Packard DeskJet
500C printer, to store the unused cartridge.
[0022] The vacuum required to perform the ink fill may be applied by a manual prime pump,
a small vacuum pump or by fittings to attach to a house vacuum cleaner. The vacuum
may not be required to fill an already wet foam but can be used to evacuate the pen
so as to start the fill process at a known empty point. This can be especially useful
when filling a tri-chamber pen, where the overall weight of the pen does not necessarily
indicate the residual ink in each of the three chambers.
[0023] Another optional component of the refill station is an ink level monitor to determine
whether refill is needed (when the refilling is done manually) or when to stop filling
ink. The "full" message will be sent to the ink supply either electronically or mechanically
to ensure that an already full pen is not refilled thereby causing an ink spill. The
ink fill level sensing system can include ink level sensors 182A, 182B, 182C (FIG.
5B) which indicate the ink level in the respective chambers 40, 42, 44 of the cartridge
during the fill procedure.
[0024] The ink supply 160 may be a single or multi-chamber structure, depending on the cartridge
it is designed to refill. The ink supply also preferably has hollow fill needles (or
other suitable device) to penetrate the foam. There will also be a method to shut
off the fill when the optimum level is reached. Another approach is to combine the
needle and a sensor to sense ink level using electrical impedance or capacitance.
[0025] The capacity of the ink supply 160 can be selected in dependence on the capacity
of the ink cartridge reservoir(s), and the refill operation conducted on an empty
or almost empty ink cartridge. In this embodiment, the refill proceeds until all available
ink in the ink supply 160 has been dispensed into the ink cartridge. The needles can
be capped until ready for use. A closable vent can be proved in a top surface of the
ink supply 160, and opened after the needles have been inserted into the fill port
of the cartridge. Application of vacuum on the nozzle array of the cartridge then
facilitates refilling the cartridge.
[0026] In another embodiment, the ink supply needles can be provided with a normally needle
valve arrangement, such as the needle valve structure 120 described in U.S. 5,929,883,
and illustrated in FIGS. 4-6. In this embodiment, the needle valve is opened when
the ink supply 160 and the cartridge are brought together and the needle inserted
into the cartridge through its fill port. The valve structure can include a collar
biased by a spring to a normally closed position, but when the needle is passed into
the fill port, the collar is forced up the needle to expose needle openings, allowing
ink to flow.
[0027] Other techniques for controlling the flow of ink from the ink supply to the ink cartridge
can also be employed.
[0028] The ink supply 160 is also be designed in such a way that the first chamber 162 has
keying features 170 to ensure that the correct ink supply is used for a given pen
which is unique, as described more fully in pending application 09/477,940, filed
January 5, 2000, MULTI-BIT MATRIX CONFIGURATION FOR KEY-LATCHED PRINTHEADS, by Ram
Santhanam et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
In addition the third chamber has a recess or cut out 172 to clear the push feature
24F of the cartridge 20. The individual chamber geometry will be chosen in such a
way that each chamber contains the required amount of ink regardless of the volume
taken up to implement the keys and to clear the push feature.
[0029] The top lid 24 of the cartridge 20 may or may not have exposed fill ports on all
chambers to enable filling. In one exemplary embodiment, the lid 24 does not include
exposed fill ports. In this case, the cartridge is filled with ink at the factory
before the lid is mounted to the housing. This lid 20 has several structures 24D protruding
from the undersurface 24E of the lid, as illustrated in FIG. 6. These structures 24D
serve as push features to apply compression force on the foam which is fitted into
the ink chambers of the cartridge 20. To allow the cartridge to be refilled with ink,
one or more fill ports are formed through the lid 24, e.g. by punching or drilling.
The holes are preferably formed in appropriate locations in the lid to avoid the structures
24D. A tool can be provided to enable location of the fill port in the optimum location
for each chamber. One simple technique is to provide a paper template for the user
to place over the lid 24. The key/latch feature 24B and the thumb grip 24F can locate
the template on the lid. The template has port indicia 302A-302C which indicate the
locations of the fill ports to be formed in the lid, and which match the optimum locations
L1-L3 (FIG. 6) which avoid the structures 24D. If the holes are punched, the punch
tool can be included in the refill kit. Alternatively, for drilling the fill port
holes, a drill bit size can be specified for the customer to purchase separately from
a local hardware store.
[0030] After filling, the fill port holes can be left exposed, and the cartridge back pressure
will tend to prevent ink stored in the foam from leaking. Alternatively, the fill
port holes can be sealed with plugs or with tape, such as adhesive tape.
[0031] According to another aspect of the invention, the inkjet cartridge 20 is provided
with a two-part lid to facilitate easy refill by users, improved manufacturing flow,
improved water loss performance for entertainment center environments, and minimize/eliminate
ink leaks through a vent hole.
[0032] The two-part lid includes one part permanently affixed to the cartridge housing,
the lid and a second part, the cover, which has the push feature (24F) for insertion
and removal of the cartridge. The cover can be removed easily by the user, either
with a simple tool such as a screwdriver or no tools at all, depending on the particular
implementation. For example, depending on the embodiment, the cover can be opened
by sliding off of the back of the lid, by tilting the cover to either of the lid sides,
or to the front or the back of the lid, or by removing the cover vertically from the
permanently attached lid. Opening the cover exposes the fill ports for the three chambers,
which can then be filled by use of the refill kit described above.
[0033] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the two-part lid structure 24', which
includes the lid 240 which is adapted to be permanently affixed to the cartridge housing
by ultrasonic welding, adhesive or other known attachment techniques. The lid structure
24' further includes a cover member 242, which can be moved from a closed position
to expose fill ports formed in the lid useful for filling and refilling the cartridge.
The push feature 24F is incorporated in the cover structure 242.
[0034] The lid structure further includes a labyrinth vent 244, illustrated in further detail
in FIG. 9, an isometric view of the lid structure 24', showing the cover 242 in an
open position. Here, the cover is slid out to a refill position to expose the fill
ports 240A-240C formed in the lid 240. The labyrinth vent 244 is also exposed with
the cover in the refill position. The vent includes a labyrinth groove 244A formed
in the top surface of the lid 240, running from the vent openings 244B, 244C, 244D
formed through the lid structure for each ink chamber to a terminal at 244E, which
is exposed when the cover is in the closed position (FIG. 8).
[0035] The cover 242 and lid structure 240 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 can be formed in
a with a tongue-and-groove dovetail arrangement to prevent the cover from upward movement
relative to the lid plane, while permitting lateral sliding movement of the cover
relative to the lid 240.
[0036] FIG. 10 shows an alternate arrangement 24" of the lid 240' and cover 242', which
allows the cover to be lifted up and detached from the lid 240' for refill. The cover
242' can snap fit onto the lid 240', or a clasp can be provided.
[0037] FIG. 11 is an isometric view illustrating a further alternative embodiment 24'" of
the two-part lid structure, wherein the cover 242" is attached to the lid 240" with
a live hinge 246 on the back of the lid structure.
[0038] FIG. 12 is an isometric view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the hinged
two-part lid structure 24", wherein the hinge 246' is located along a longitudinal
edge of the cover 242'", instead of along a lateral edge as with the embodiment of
FIG. 11.
[0039] The two-part lid 24 includes an improved vent to allow air to enter the ink chambers
as ink is used, while minimizing vapor loss through the vent. With the cover portion
in place, the vent path provided by the labyrinth groove 244A substantially reduces
vapor loss. This enhances the performance of the print cartridge in hot and dry environments,
e.g. an entertainment center environment. It is noted that labyrinth vents have been
employed in the past, for example, in the Hewlett Packard model 51629 print cartridge.
In that cartridge, however, the vent is not provided in a lid but in structure adjacent
the nozzle array.
[0040] In addition to the improved water loss performance, the new vent design also helps
in minimizing if not eliminate ink leaks through exposed vent holes.
[0041] The cartridge 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as having a one-piece lid, permanently
attached to the cartridge housing structure after ink fill by ultrasonic welding or
other attachment technique. For high volume manufacturing, the cartridge is preferably
built from start to finish in one run or at least from foam insertion to the end of
line. The two-part lid will help in completing the dry loop processes and having inventory
available to complete the assembly as demand arises without compromising the shelf
life of the cartridge which takes effect when ink is filled.
[0042] It is understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of
the possible specific embodiments which may represent principles of the present invention.
Other arrangements may readily be devised in accordance with these principles by those
skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
1. An ink filling kit (50) for an inkjet cartridge (20) having a printhead nozzle array
in fluid communication with at least one internal ink reservoir,
characterized by:
an ink supply (160) including at least one ink chamber (162, 164, 166) for holding
a fill supply of liquid ink, and at least one protruding hollow needle (174, 176,
178) in communication with said at least one ink chamber; and
a system (180, 192) for applying a vacuum to the nozzle array of the printhead nozzle
array during the fill procedure to draw air through the nozzle array.
2. A kit according to Claim 1, further comprising a fixture system (190) for holding
the inkjet cartridge in a fixtured position during a fill procedure.
3. A kit according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the at least one internal reservoir
of the cartridge includes a plurality of reservoirs, the at least one chamber of the
fill supply comprises a corresponding plurality of chambers (162, 164, 166), and the
at least one fill needle comprises a corresponding plurality of needles (174, 176,
178) each in fluid communication with a corresponding chamber of the plurality of
chambers.
4. A kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one internal reservoir
has a foam structure disposed therein, and wherein the at least one needle is sized
to extend into the foam structure by at least a predetermined depth during the fill
procedure.
5. A kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the cartridge (20) includes a lid
structure having a keying feature protruding therefrom, and wherein the ink supply
includes a supply housing having a surface (168) for positioning adjacent the lid
structure during the fill procedure, and the surface has a supply housing keying feature
(170) formed therein for mating with the cartridge keying feature during the fill
procedure.
6. A kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the cartridge includes a lid structure
having a pushing feature protruding therefrom, and wherein the ink supply includes
a supply housing having a surface (168) for positioning adjacent the lid structure
during the fill procedure, and the surface has a supply housing recess (172) formed
therein for mating with the cartridge pushing feature during the fill procedure.
7. A kit according to any preceding claim, further including a template (194) for indicating
the location of one or more fill ports to be formed in the cartridge.
8. A kit according to any preceding claim, further including a tool (196) for forming
one or more fill ports in the cartridge.
9. A kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the system for applying a vacuum includes
a capping system (180) for providing a seal around a nozzle array of the cartridge
during the fill procedure.
10. A kit according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one internal ink reservoir
includes a plurality of reservoir chambers each for holding ink of a different color,
and wherein the at least one chamber of said ink supply comprises a corresponding
plurality of ink supply chambers (162, 164, 166) each for holding a quantity of ink
of said different color.
11. A kit according to Claim 10, further comprising respective quantities of ink of different
color disposed in said plurality of ink supply chambers.
12. A kit according to any of Claims 1-10, further comprising a quantity of ink disposed
in said at least one chamber.
13. A method for filling an inkjet cartridge having a printhead nozzle array in fluid
communication with at least one internal ink reservoir, characterized by:
providing an ink supply (160) including at least one ink chamber (162, 164, 166) for
holding a fill supply of liquid ink, and at least one protruding hollow needle (174,
176, 178) in communication with said at least one ink chamber;
holding the inkjet cartridge in a filling position during a fill procedure relative
to the ink supply, wherein said at least one protruding needle extends into the at
least one internal ink reservoir of the cartridge;
dispensing ink from the ink supply through the at least one needle into the at least
one ink reservoir; and
applying a vacuum to the nozzle array of the printhead nozzle array during the fill
procedure to draw air through the nozzle array.
14. A method according to Claim 13, further comprising:
forming at least one fill port in a top lid of the cartridge before said step of dispensing
ink;
and wherein said step of holding the cartridge includes inserting the at least one
needle (172, 174, 176) through the at least one fill port.
15. A method according to Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein said step of holding the cartridge
includes mounting the ink supply and the cartridge in a fixture (190).
16. A method according to any of Claims 13-15, further comprising:
filling the at least one chamber (162, 164, 166) with a quantity of liquid ink to
be dispensed during said dispensing step.
17. A method according to any of Claims 13-16, wherein:
the at least one internal ink reservoir includes a plurality of reservoir chambers
each for holding ink of a different color;
the at least one chamber of said ink supply comprises a corresponding plurality of
ink supply chambers (162, 164, 166) each for holding a quantity of ink of said different
color;
the at least one needle includes a plurality of needles each in communication with
a corresponding ink supply chamber;
said holding step includes holding the cartridge such that said plurality of needles
each respectfully extend into a corresponding reservoir chamber during said fill procedure;
and
said dispensing step includes dispensing ink of said different colors into respective
ink reservoirs.
18. A method according to any of Claims 13-17, wherein said cartridge has a housing with
an open region, and a two part lid structure for covering the open region of the housing,
the lid structure including a lid portion (240) for permanent attachment to the housing,
and a cover portion (242) having a closed position for covering at least one fill
ports in the lid structure, said cover portion movable to allow access to the at least
one fill port, and further comprising:
moving the cover portion prior to said holding step to allow access to said at least
one fill port; and
wherein said holding step includes inserting said at least one needle into said at
least one fill port.
19. An inkjet cartridge, characterized by:
a cartridge housing (22) having an open region:
a printhead (28) mounted on the housing:
a plurality of datum surfaces on said housing for registering a position of the cartridge
housing in a fixed, repeatable position in a carriage structure:
a cartridge set of electrical contacts mounted to the cartridge housing and electrically
coupled to the printhead, said cartridge set of electrical contacts positioned on
the housing for electrical contact with a corresponding first carriage set of electrical
contacts when the cartridge is mounted in the carriage structure;
at least one internal ink reservoir defined within the housing in fluid communication
with the printhead;
a foam structure disposed within the at least one internal ink reservoir;
a two part lid structure (24') for covering the open region of the housing, the lid
structure including a lid portion (240) for permanent attachment to the housing, and
a cover portion (242) having a closed position for covering at least one fill ports
in the lid structure, said cover portion movable to allow access to the at least one
fill ports.
20. A cartridge according to Claim 19, wherein the .cover portion is hingedly attached
to the lid portion.
21. A cartridge according to Claim 19, wherein the cover portion is slidingly engaged
with the lid portion to slide from the closed position to an open position.
22. A cartridge according to any of Claims 19-21, wherein the lid structure further includes
a labyrinth vent including one or more vent openings (244B-244D) formed therethrough
which are covered by the cover portion when in the closed position, and a labyrinth
vent groove (244A) communicating with the one or more vent openings and having a terminal
portion which is not covered by the cover portion in the closed position.